Coin sorter cradle lock

ABSTRACT

Improved locking means for the cradle of a coin sorter, which cradle has two arms extending across a coin path defined between two plates, the locking means preferably being in the form of a flat member pivotally mounted near its upper end between said plates and normally occupying a position in which a slot or notch in said flat member engages one of the cradle arms to lock the cradle against rocking movement until such time as a coin of predetermined size seats in the cradle and engages and displaces a lower portion of the member to release the cradle arm from the slot.

United States Patent 3,145,821 8/1964 Simpson Appl. No.

Wilson M. Stewart 110 Isabella St., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada 851,931

Aug. 21, 1969 Apr. 27, 1971 Mar. 21, 1969 Canada inventor Filed Patented Priority COIN SORTER CRADLE LOCK 4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl 194/102 int. Cl G071 3/02 Field of Search 194/102 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,155,214 11/1964 Haverstick 194/102 3,340,981 9/1967 Okolischan 194/102 3,356,197 12/1967 Johnson 194/102 Primary ExaminerStanley H. Tollberg Assistant ExaminerTh0mas E. Kocovsry Attorney-Smart & Biggar ABSTRACT: lmproved locking means for the cradle of a coin sorter, which cradle has two arms extending across a coin path defined between two plates, the locking means preferably being in the form of a flat member pivotally mounted near its upper end between said plates and normally occupying a position in which a slot or notch in said flat member engages one of the cradle arms to lock the cradle against rocking movement until such time as a coin of predetermined size seats in the cradle and engages and displaces a lower portion of the member to release the cradle arm from the slot.

PATENTED APR 2 7 I97] INVENTOR WILSON M. STEWART ATTORNEYS nickelcradl'e, I It is anobject'of'the present invention, therefore, to provideelongated flat between said plates by a pivot pin which is secured to one of COIN SORTER CRADLE LOCK I BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to coin sorters and more particularly.

to improved means for releasably locking the cradles normally provided in coin sorters in use today. Such cradles are adapted to receive. and'be rocked by a downwardly. falling-coin of a predetermined size, so as to dermsit such a coin on a laterally and downwardly extending runway, coins of a lesser size being dle, with the result that such coin is led into the path intended,

for the larger coins. For example, a. l-cent=piece or-dime mayenter the path intended-for -.cent pieces or nickels" and finish up in the S-cent tube of a coin changer associated with the coin sorter. The dispensing mechanism of the coin changer may eventually become jammed when it tries to dispense the dime, since it is dimensioned for dispensing nickels, and this can-'lead-to burning out of the coin changer motor, necessitating a service call plus a new motor. Even if the motor is not burned out, the expense of a service call is still involved. It is obviously desirable, therefore, to prevent accidental'diversion of smaller coins into the larger coin=path. To this end, attempts have .been made to provide locking mechanism for locking the cradle against accidental rocking-by lesser size coins. However, none of these mechanisms has proven to be completely satisfactory andone of the main problems facing the designer of cradle lockingmeans isthefact thatspace visat a' premium in presentfday coin sorters, particularly in the regionof the means for looking a coin sorter cradle, particularly but not exclusively the nickel cradle, which will be highly efficient and at thesame time'occupy a minimumof spaceand notinterfere withthe normal functioning ofthe coin'sorter.

' BRIEF SUMMARYGF THEINVENTION According to the invention l provide in a coinsorter having a cradle adapted'to be rocked from a normal position by a: coin of predetennined size, said. cradle having two arms ex-' tending across a corn pathdefinedby two plates, one of which arms initially moves arcuately upward when the cradle is moved from said normal position, the improvement comprising a locking member movably mounted betweenrsaid plates, having upper and lower portionsand beingbiassed to a position in which said upper portion thereof overlies said one arm to prevent upward movement thereof except when said lower portion of. the locking, member is displaced a certain amount by a coin seated in saidcradle.

' Preferably, said locking member comprises a vertically member pivotally mounted at its upper end the plates and passes through the member near one side edge thereof, the lower end of the member having a. laterally ex- ;tending slot defined by said upper and lower portions and open at saidone side edge. of the member, said lower portion extending beyond the. upper portion at said one side edge.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION. OF THEDRAWINGS Anembodimentof the invention will now be described, by

way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawing, 7 in which:

FIG, I is a fragmentary view of a plate of a coin sorter have ing'a cradle and the improved locking means of the present in V vention mounted thereon;

' FIG. 2. is a section on the-linelI-II of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. I but showing a coin seated in the cradle and the locking means displaced by said coin to free the cradle; and

FIG.4 is a fragmentary view of shown in FIG. I.

the other side of the plate DETAILED. DESCRIPTION A coin sorter has two plates 1 and,2 which between them definea path for coins falling downwardly from an entry chute 3; A cradle 4 is shown mounted on platel and for the purposes of the present description it will be assumed that it is a nickel" cradle, i.e. that it-is adapted to receive and be rocked by nickels while allowing fpennies" and"dimes-' to pass freelytherethrough. It will be. understood, of course, that the invention is not restrictedto nickel cradles but applies also to quarter cradles, etc.

Thecradle 4'compn'ses a plate 5, pivotally mounted on pin 6 securedv to plate 1, abiassing weight 7 and two arms 8 and 9 which extend through slots 10 and II, respectively, in plate I,

-' these slots being of arcuate-shape to accommodate rocking movement of the cradle. It will be seen that'the'ends of arms 8 and, 9 bridge the coin path to intercept nickels, as shown in FIG. 3'. Smaller coins, such as dimes", pass downwardly between the arms.

The plate I has a flange 12 extending towards the plate 2 and a locking member 13 is mounted adjacent said flange on a pivot pin I4. secured to the plate 1 and'passing through the locking member at the upper end and near the inner edge thereof, the result being that the locking member is biassed toward the position shown in FIG. I. The locking member has a laterally extending slot 15 therein between an upper portion I6. andalower portion I7 of the locking member, the lower portion extending beyond beyond the upper portion. It will be apparent that the upper portion 16, with the cradle and locking member in their normal positions as shown in FIG. 1, willjprevent the arm 8zfrom moving arcuately upward in the slot '10. Thus, even ifadime should bounce onto the arm 9 the cradle will not rock but rather the arm 9'will divert the dime back between the arms and thence downwardly as intended. If the dime initially strikes the locking member'and accidentally frees arm8, the cradle willlnot rock since it is .biassed into the position shown.

A niekel entering the coin path via chute 3 falls on the cra-. dle and a portion thereof, of course, passes-betweenthe arms 8 and v9 to engage and displace the lower portion 17 of the locking member to the position shown in FIG. 3. Such dis placementis sufiicient to displace the upper portion 16 to free the arm 8 therefrom, whereby the cradle is allowed to rock, under the influence of the weight of the nickel, to deposit the nickel N on runway 18 to be guided through. the sorter in known manner.

The locking means of the present invention takes up a minimum of space, is inexpensive to manufacture, does. not interfere with the normal functioning of the sorter and is highly efficient inoperation.

I-claim:

I. In a coin sorter having a cradle adapted to be rocked from a normal position by a coin of predetermined size, said cradle havingtwo arms extendingacross a coin path defined by two plates, one of which arms initially moves arcuately upwardwhen the cradle is moved from said normal position, the improvement comprising a locking member movably mounted between said plates, having upper and lower portions and beingbiassed to a position inwhich said upper portion thereof overlies said one arm, to prevent upward movement thereof except when said lower portion of thelocking member is displaced a certain amount by'a coin seated insaid cradle.

2. Arcoin sorter as claimed in claim I', wherein said. locking member comprises a vertically elongated flat member pivotally mounted at its upper end between said plates by a pivot pin which is secured to one of the plates and passes through the member near one side edge thereof, the lower end of the member having a laterally extending slot defined by said upper and lower portions and open at said one side edge of the member, said lower portion extending beyond the upper portion at said one side edge. I

3. In a coin sorter having a cradle adapted to be rocked from a normal position by a coin ofpredeterrnined size and having two anns extending across a coin path defined between two plates, one of which arms initially moves arcuately upward when the cradle is moved from said normal position, improved locking means for locking said cradle unless released by a said coin of predetennined size, said locking means comprising a member having a substantially horizontal slot therein, means mounting said member between said two plates for movement parallel to said plates towards and away from that side of said one arm which trails during initial movement of the arm means biassing said member to a position in which said one arm is seated within said slot with an upper portion of said member above the slot preventing such initial movement of the arm, a lower portion of said member below the slot ex tending beyond the open end of the slot an amount sufficient to ensure release of the arm when said lower portion is dis placed by a said coin of predetermined size seated in the eradle.

4. A coin sorter having two plates defining between them a path for downwardly falling coins, a cradle pivotally mounted on the outside of one of said plates and having two arms extending through slot means in said plate to bridge said path. said anns being spaced apart a predetermined distance whereby they will engage a coin of a predetermined size and prevent passage of said coin therebetween but will permit coins of a lesser size to pass freely therebetween and continue their downward falling movement, said cradle being biassed to a normal coin-intercepting position and adapted to be rocked by a said coin of predetermined size to a coin-discharging position whereby a said coin will be diverted from its original path, and locking means for locking said cradle against accidental rocking by a said coin of lesser size, said locking means comprising a member pivotally mounted between said plates, normally biassed to a locking position and having a slot therein adapted to receive one of the arms of said cradle when the latter is in its normal position, said arm being the trailing arm when the cradle is moving to said coin-discharging position, said slot being defined by upper and lower portions of said member, said lower portion extending beyond the open end of the slot by an amount sufficient to allow a said coin of predetermined size seated in the cradle to displace said member and release said arm from the slot. 

1. In a coin sorter having a cradle adapted to be rocked from a normal position by a coin of predetermined size, said cradle having two arms extendIng across a coin path defined by two plates, one of which arms initially moves arcuately upward when the cradle is moved from said normal position, the improvement comprising a locking member movably mounted between said plates, having upper and lower portions and being biassed to a position in which said upper portion thereof overlies said one arm to prevent upward movement thereof except when said lower portion of the locking member is displaced a certain amount by a coin seated in said cradle.
 2. A coin sorter as claimed in claim 1, wherein said locking member comprises a vertically elongated flat member pivotally mounted at its upper end between said plates by a pivot pin which is secured to one of the plates and passes through the member near one side edge thereof, the lower end of the member having a laterally extending slot defined by said upper and lower portions and open at said one side edge of the member, said lower portion extending beyond the upper portion at said one side edge.
 3. In a coin sorter having a cradle adapted to be rocked from a normal position by a coin of predetermined size and having two arms extending across a coin path defined between two plates, one of which arms initially moves arcuately upward when the cradle is moved from said normal position, improved locking means for locking said cradle unless released by a said coin of predetermined size, said locking means comprising a member having a substantially horizontal slot therein, means mounting said member between said two plates for movement parallel to said plates towards and away from that side of said one arm which trails during initial movement of the arm, means biassing said member to a position in which said one arm is seated within said slot with an upper portion of said member above the slot preventing such initial movement of the arm, a lower portion of said member below the slot extending beyond the open end of the slot an amount sufficient to ensure release of the arm when said lower portion is displaced by a said coin of predetermined size seated in the cradle.
 4. A coin sorter having two plates defining between them a path for downwardly falling coins, a cradle pivotally mounted on the outside of one of said plates and having two arms extending through slot means in said plate to bridge said path, said arms being spaced apart a predetermined distance whereby they will engage a coin of a predetermined size and prevent passage of said coin therebetween but will permit coins of a lesser size to pass freely therebetween and continue their downward falling movement, said cradle being biassed to a normal coin-intercepting position and adapted to be rocked by a said coin of predetermined size to a coin-discharging position whereby a said coin will be diverted from its original path, and locking means for locking said cradle against accidental rocking by a said coin of lesser size, said locking means comprising a member pivotally mounted between said plates, normally biassed to a locking position and having a slot therein adapted to receive one of the arms of said cradle when the latter is in its normal position, said arm being the trailing arm when the cradle is moving to said coin-discharging position, said slot being defined by upper and lower portions of said member, said lower portion extending beyond the open end of the slot by an amount sufficient to allow a said coin of predetermined size seated in the cradle to displace said member and release said arm from the slot. 